Abrading machine



April 8, 1952 R. H. CRAMER 2,591,

' ABRADING MACHINE Filed Aug. 6, 1949 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 I /NVENTOZ4 RAYMOND H. CRA MEB.

HIS ATTQRNEY April 1952 R. H. CRAMER 2,591,784

' ABRADING MACHINE Filed Aug. 6, 1949 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 /N\/ENTO,QJ; RAzMo/vo HjIQA MEB. BY W 4. m

HIS ATTOQNEY April 8, 1952 R. H. cRAMER ABRADING MACHINE 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Aug. 6, 1949 INVENTOB RAYMOND H. c ME/2..

BY a.

1-1 15 ATTORNEY FIG /4A' April 8, 1952 R. H. CRAMER 2,591,784

ABRADING MACHINE Filed Aug. 6, 1949 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 N VENTOQ;

RA YMOND HC/QAMEB.

Hi5 ATTORNEY Patented Apr. 8, 1952 ABRADIN G MACHINE Raymond H. Cramer, Bloomfield, N. J., assigno'r to General Motors Corporation, Detroit, Mich, a corporation of Delaware Applicaticn August 6, 19.49,.SerialNo'.103,018

This invention relates to abrading machines. object .of the invention is to provide a ma- :chine for abrading, in one operation, the pegnipheralsurfaces and the convex ends of tapered .rollersto insure quality control. Another object is to provide a machine capable of abradingthe peripheral surfaces and the rounded ends of tapered rollers of various sizes and wherein only .a few elements require replacements or. alteration when the sizes are changed. Another 1.

object is to provide a machine for grinding convexly curved surfaces on the ends of tapered rollers when the radii of those ends vary considerably with different sizes of rollers. Still anotherohlect is to provide a machine for these purposes which will not require a complete set of expensive parts for each size of roller to be treated but which can utilize all or nearly all of the same, partsfor several sizes of rollers. Yet another object is to provide an improved machine 'for lapping the peripheries of tapered rollers.

" Fig. 9 is a cross sectional view of Fig. '1.

Fig. 10 is a perspective view of elements as- 'Sociated with the loading apparatus.

Fig. 1'1 isaplan view :of a'carrier l'ing, Fig.1? is a perspective view of asupporting ring.

Fig. I3 is a perspectiveview of a guide ring. Fig. 14 is -a plan view enlarged of a grinding "wheel and its mounting.

14A is a diagram. Fig. '15 is 'a perspective view of important;

merits some being broken "away.

I .T161is af'sid'e elevation of the grinding'wheel an its'mounting.

1mg. '17is an'end'view "of Fig. 16.

Figs. 1'8, 19 and 20 are diagrams.

20 Claims. (01.51-3) "Figf21 isa view oforie'product'roller enlarged.

Fig. '22 is a sectional view of roller engaging wheels in abrading position.

"Fig. 231s a modification similar to Fig. 22. In commercial ta ered roller bearings. one of ft'heta'pered race rings, usually the inner one,

hasa conical "flange at the larger end and the "ends "o'fthe taperedtrollers bear against and are 2 uided by :this flange. A .sphericals'urface or segment on .the rollers is desirable, this surface usually having :its center of curvatureiat the commonapex :of the conical hearing racesand of the includedangle of the rollers. Tapered rollers for the various :sizes of bearings differ at least in diameter, in length, in the included angle and to a large degree in the radii of the convex ends. The performance and life of a bearing depend. on the quality control and exact relation of the peripheries and ends-of the rollers. In the present invention, certain compromises are adopted in the shape of the convex ends in order that the expense of a complete machine for every size of .roller may be avoided. In grinding the ends of the various rollers, the surfaces are ,made nearly spherical but not quite though perfectly acceptable. During the abrading operation, the peripheries of the rollers are lapped and the ends are ground or ground and lapped in :one operation.

The rollers arerotated on their axes'betweena conical regulating wheel and a flat lapping.

wheel. Both wheels serve for all sizes of rollers and the conical surface of the regulating wheel is merely dressed to adapt itior use with rollers oia different included angle. A carrier with .roller pockets controls the travel of rollers in a substantially circular path through the machine and a different carrier is used if the "included angle of the rollers is changed. .As the rollers are flapped between the regulating wheel and the lapping wheel, their ends engage a guide'ring which .is interrupted .for access of a concave grinding. wheel which grinds the ends. This grinding wheel .has the same transverse curvature for all rollers yet it grinds the convex ends of, all rollers to near-spherical surfaces whose radii vary very considerably :in the different'runs of rollers. Thisis accomplished by skewingfthe pockets in the carrier to selected angles fandfby grinding the roller ends below center. Skewmg tends to decreasethe radius of the convex ends and theb'elow center grinding tends "to increase the radius until an acceptable near-spherical end -is produced "for each roller. skewing the rollerhas other desirable results; it tends it"o'hold the roller ends against the guide ring and it causes the lapping wheel to produce a very slight lengthwise curvature on the roller peripheries. This is advantageous in roller bearings because the 'peripheriesof the rollers do not becomeoverloaded near the 'ends'wh'ere load tends to conc'en and resting on the brackets.

duces better rollers than when these operations are carried out separately. The accurate relation of the end of the roller to its peripheral surface is insured without change for error, and exact duplicates can be produced.

First outlining generally the functions of some important elements, tapered rollers are fed successively small end first into pockets of a rotary carrier and between an upper lapping wheel and a lower regulating wheel which rotate on vertical axes eccentric to one another and in different directions at different speeds. The carrier carries the rollers bodily in a substantially arcuate path while a'fixed guide or cam ring engages the ends of the rollers and holds them in the carrier pockets. At one point in the arcuate travel the guide ring is interrupted and a grinding wheel which is concave engages the ends of the rollers. After travel for nearly a complete circle, a stripper blade cams each finished rolled from between the wheels.

An upper or lapping wheel 2 (Figs. 9 and 22) has its lower surface fiat and horizontal to rest on the peripheries of the rollers R while the lower or regulating wheel 4 has its upper surface slanting or conical and at an inclination to the horizontal equal to the included angle of the rollers. The regulating wheel has a little notch 6 at its inner periphery to allow the rollers to overhang the conical surface slightly and so wear it evenly. Surrounding the lower wheel for nearly the whole circumference is a fixed guide ring 8 having a projecting guide rib ID which, for the most part, is arcuate internally with its center of curvature concentric with the axis of the regulating wheel. A U-shaped bracket I2 is attached to the guide ring before a gap H is cut therein. The bottom of the bracket has a slanting surface which with the gap allows a concave grinding wheel If: to have access to the ends of the rollers. The guide ring is adjustably fastened by screws l8 to a fixed supporting ring 20, the latter having oversize holes for the screws to provide for exact centering of the guide ring by horizontal screws 22 passing through a series of lugs 24 upstanding from the supporting ring. The latter has series of supporting brackets or legs 26 each of which is clamped in vertically adjusted positions by screws 23 passing through slots in an angular bracket 3!) which is clamped by screws to the apron or guard 32 which usually surrounds the lower portion of a lapping machine.

Vertical adjustment of the ring 26 is aided by vertical screws 34 threaded in lugs 36 in the ring 20 Closely adjacent screws 31 are threaded in the bracket as shown in Fig. 2.

The lower or regulating wheel is secured by screws to a ring- 38 which is in turn secured by screws to a lower ring 40 which is rotated by vertical rods 42 forming part of a drive mechanism, not shown. Extending'between the wheels is a carrier 44 in the form of a ring secured to a rollers of different diameters are to be treated by the machine, the carrier has a small vertical adjustment which is effected by a. series of bolts 62 threaded in the carrier plate 46 and riding on the disc 56. The carrier plate is provided with a series of large openings 5'! (Fig. 1) to lighten it and provide for access to screws below it. The carrier has a series of pockets 64 cut in its periphery. These pockets are non-radial or skewed and their opposite sides make the same angle with one another as the included angle of the rollers. In operation, the rollers bear (Fig. '7) against the leading sides 66 of the pockets and overhang little notches 58. Pressure and Wear on these sides occur because the upper wheel tends to advance the rollers much faster than the carrier which holds the rollers back and controls bodily travelv The opposite side of each notch has a bevelled surface 69 to facilitate entry of the rollers. A dressing diamond GT is mounted on the carrier between two notches.-

The tapered rollers are fed small end first in a stream through an inclined tube ill to a loading sleeve 12 which is clamped in the bore of a loading bracket 14 by a set screw. The bracket is adjustable radially and vertically of the guide ring 8. Screws 18 pass through a slot in the bracket and are threaded in the guide ring. Other screws 18 are threaded in the bracket and bear on the guide ring to effect the vertical adjustment. The bracket has a cut-out at one corner and the loading sleeve has a similar registering cut-out at 82. This is to allow the roller to move laterally out of these members if it is not entirely entered into its pocket in the carrier. Each roller is compelled to enter its pocket by a little cam surface 84 on a lug projecting laterally from a vertical cam plate 85. This plate is adjustably mounted on the side of the loading bracket by screws 88 passing through slots in the plate and threaded n the bracket and by screws 98 threaded in the plate and bearing on the bracket. The bracket is mounted in a radial notch 92 (Fig. 13) on top of the guide ring. Since lateral adjustment' of the cam plate towards or from the bracket will vary the space between the plate and the adjacent wall of the notch 92, a lug 94 on a filler plate 95 is provided to substantially fill the space. This plate is clamped on the guide ring by a screw as after a little pivotal adjustment around the screw as allowed by a pin Hi0 fixed in the guide ring and entering an oversize hole in the filler plate. As the rollers are cammed into their pockets and pass the lug 84, they are or may be still further advanced by a little bevel or cam face. I02

on the guide ring.

After the ends of the rollers are ground by the grinding wheel IE, they are retained in the pockets by the arcuate rib on the guide ring against which they are urged by a combination of factors, such as the skewing of the pockets and the eccentricity of the wheel axes. Fig. 14 indicates that the central plane of the grinding wheel is in line with the axes of the other two wheels, the axis of the upper wheel being at the point I04 and the axis of the lower wheel being at the point I06 and the outside radius of the upper wheel being the larger. The upper wheel has the fastest rotation and rotates anticlockwise at say R. P. M.; the lower wheel rotates clockwise at say 17 R. P. M. while the carrier rotates anticlockwise at say 1 /2 R. P. M. The carrier axis and the lower wheel axis are concentric. The guide rib I0 is concentric with the last two axes for the most part, especially from the region of the grinding wheel for a little over one half a circle. Beyond this point, the guide rib is relieved as shown best at I08 in Fig. 13 to let the rollers begin to move curvature becomes.

it is within the desired tolerances.

smaller or right triangle, angle B is first determined its sine being and the base a.= /Y -X In the larger triangle, the side a is now known and the side d is Z-Y. Angle E is the supplement of angle B. Angle D, the desired angle is then found by formula, its tangent being d sin E a-d cos E The purpose of determining the angle of the pockets is to locate the rollers so that the concave abrading wheel will center its operation upon the annular land I96 at the mean diameter. The more the roller is tilted, the sharper its end The smaller the included angle of the roller, other things being equal, the greater is the apex distance and the point B more nearly approaches the center C of the carrier. The less the roller is tilted, the less its end surface departs from a spherical surface. The departure from a spherical surface is not unduly large for practical use and it can be minimized by lowering the end abrading wheel until gauging of a preliminary ground roller shows For many roller sizes, the tilted angle will range from an angle considerably less than one degree to a little over one degree. The surface of the annular land 1% may be defined asa surface of revolution generated by revolving an are about the axis of the roller, the radius of the are being the dis- 1 tax-ice Z, this radius moving in the surface of a cone and the center of the are moving in a circle about the roller axis.

With the various wheels in rotation, the rollers are fed successively into the pockets of the carrier and between the upper and lower wheels which turn the rollers on their axes, the carrier controlling bodily travel. As the rollers are cammed into their pockets, their peripheries begin to be lapped. As the rollers pass the concave wheel, their ends are ground or lapped and thereafter peripheral lapping is continued until the rollers leave the pockets. As above mentioned, the order can be reversed to do most of the peripheral lapping before the rollers ends are treated and these ends can be treated by a plurality of wheels acting in succession. By treating both peripheries and ends in one machine at one set-up, the relations of these surfaces can be accurately maintained for production of quality rollers, something that would not be possible with separate machines. Rollers of various dimensions can be reliably produced with little duplication of machine parts, the calculated skewing of the pockets being largely responsible for this economy.

. Iclaim:

1. In a machine for abrading the peripheries and'ends of tapered rollers, a lapping wheel and a regulating wheel spaced apart and defining a tapered annular space for tapered rollers there- 'between, an abrading wheel having a concave surface externally of said space and curved about the axis of the regulating Wheel, and means for causing the abrading wheel to produce a convex curvature on the ends of the rollers differing from the curvature of said wheel surface, said means comprising a carrier having roller pockets slightly inclined to radii of the carrier to hold the rollers tilted for contact at one side of their axes with the concave wheel surface.

2. In a machine for abrading the peripheries and ends of tapered rollers, a lapping wheel and a regulating wheel spaced apartand defining a tapered annular space for tapered rollers therebetween, an abrading wheel having aconcave surface externally of said space and curved about the axis of the regulating wheel to abrade the ends of the rollers to convex shape, and means for causing the rollers to travel bodily in the tapered space with their axes slightly tilted with respect to radii of the regulating wheel in order to present their ends at one side of said axes to the concave surface, and the axis of said abrading wheel being located below the roller axes.

3. In a machine for abrading the peripheries and ends of tapered rollers, a lapping wheel and a regulating wheel spaced apart and defining a tapered annular space for tapered rollers therebetween, an abrading wheel having a concave surface externally of said space and curved about the axis of the regulating wheel to abrade the ends of the rollers to convex shape, a guide of generally arcuate form extending from the opposite sides of the concave wheel around the tapered space to engage the ends of the rollers and guide the rollers for peripheral lapping, and a driven carrier having roller receiving pockets slightly inclined to radii of the carrier in a direction to cause the small ends of the rollers to lead the larger ends.

4. In a machine for abrading the peripheries and ends of tapered rollers, a lapping wheel and a regulating wheel spaced apart and defining a tapered annular space for tapered rollers therebetween, an abrading wheel having a concave surface externally of said space and curved about the axis of the regulating wheel to abrade the ends of the rollers to convex shape, a guide of generally arcuate form extending from the opposite sides of the concave wheel around the tapered space to engage the ends of the rollers and guide the rollers for peripheral lapping, and a driven carrier having roller receiving pockets slightly inclined to radii of-the carrier, and means for inserting tapered rollers successively into the tapered space at one point in its circumference and removing abraded rollers at another point.

5. In a machine for abrading the peripheries and ends of tapered rollers, a lapping wheel and a regulating wheel spaced apart and defining a tapered annular space for tapered rollers therebetween, the lapping wheel being larger than the regulating wheel and having its axis of rotation in a different line, the peripheries of said wheels being in substantial registration at one portion of the circumference, an abrading wheel having a concave surface at said portion and curved about the axis of the regulating wheel to abrade the ends of the rollers, and a guide of generally arcuate form extending from the opposite sides of the concave wheel around the tapered space to guide the rollers for peripheral lapping between the lapping wheel and the regulating wheel.

6. In a machine for abrading the peripheries and ends of tapered rollers, a lapping wheel and a regulating wheel spaced apart and defining a tapered annular space for tapered rollers therebetween, the peripheries of said wheels being in substantial registration at one portion of the circumference, an abrading wheel having a concave surface at said portion and curved about the axis of the regulating wheel to abrade the ends of the rollers, a guide of generally arcuate form extending from the opposite sides of the concave nutmeg registration at a portion of their circumference,

an iabradine rwheel having -;a concav :surfa e a aid, order. and .cu ved bout h ax s o t maller wheel to T abr de he ends "of therr lle s a u depfg ne allvzarc ate.form nd n f o thenside of'thezeoncave whee a o ndt apered spac to 1 guid t e ro r orr phera lon in .be weenthe lapping Wheel nd t e esulettin -W eel- 53 ,I a machine. for ab ad ns h -periphe e io t ner rol s. a appi g hee an a .meeula n l ee "s ace apa a ni g a apered an la s cei tan r d .r ll r her betwcenronewheel ne m He than th he and -having its axis eceentricto theaxis of the other ;to bring the peripheries into substantial reg tration at aportion of the circumference, an

.abrading wheel having a concave surface at said portion and'curved aboutthe axis of thelsm ller wheel to .abrade the endsof the rollers, a-guide of generally arcuate form extending :from the sides ofrsaid concave wheelaround the tapered space to guide the rollers for peripheral lapping between :the lapping-wheel and the regulating wheel, and means for inserting rollers successively into the tapered spaceat'one point in the cirl umference and removing themirom an adjacent point.

9. In a machine for abradingthe peripheries and ends'oftapered rollers a lapping wheel and a regulating wheel spaced apart and defining ,a tapered annular space for taperedrollerstherebetween, one wheel being smaller-than the other andrhavingyits axis eccentric tori/he aXiSfjf"l'ghe other .atobring the peripherieslnto substantial registration at a portion of the'circumterence, an-Iabrading wheel having .a,-con$ave surface, at said portion-=and curved about the axis ofythe :smaller wheel to abrade the ends of the rollers,

a guide of generally arcuate form extending from the sides of the concave wheel around the tapered space to guide the rollers for peripheral lapping between the lapping wheel and the regulating wheel, and a driven carrier having roller pockets between the last mentioned Wheels for controlling the bodily travel of the rollers.

10. In a machine for abrading the ends and the peripheries of tapered rollers, a, lapping wheel and a regulating wheel arranged one above the other and having their adjacent faces relatively tapered to receive tapered rollers therebetween,

a guide ring extending about the tapered space and having a gap, an abrading wheel having a concave surface entering the gap to engage the ends of the rollers, a carrier having roller pockets open towards the guide ring and the concave surface of the abrading wheel, means for rotating the carrier to control the bodily travel of the rollers along the guide ring and said concave 1.0 urfae and the po ket heinevisliehtly in lined withre n c t r ii-of th .i r t c usethe nds-oitherol er t ueneeeet. on av suria e a one s de of th i axe o -rotat ph- .l-l a, m chin f abra ing th e dsw nd h er n e ie o a ed rol ers. a lapping wheeland a regulatin heel sp ed apart and ng a ap d an ul @snac o tapered rollers therebetween, a guide ring extending-about ta e ed sp c e as hee d of th -ro lers. ai .g d ing h ng a gel .a rad ng "wh els entering the gap for successive-action on the ends of the rollers, and :means; for pausing the rollers to travel bodily in an arcuatepathinside. of the guide ring.

l2. In a .machineror abradingthe convex ends of tap re o 1ers ch varv-fiothe an x distance and diameter. -;a pair of ,wheels rotating in opposite directions one abo e:theother-andlhaving opposed surfaces relatively, inclined :toQf orm a tapered space to receivethe peripheries,of,the rollers forrotation around-,theiraxes, one 'wheel being 1 larger than the ,other; and having its axis of rotation in a. different line, -,-an,abradi11g--wheel at the outside of saidtaperedspaceandhaving a concave surface curved-about a :centenat ,the axis of the smaller wheel, adri-ven carrienhaving pockets fortherollers to controltheirpassage across the concave surface the pockets -being inclined .to :radii. of the-carrier at -a :Q tldulated .small an l de en in o th incl ded angle and diameter of .the rollers ,to ,canse the roller ends to engage ,s'aid concave surface. at

of tapered "rollers which vary in ,their apex, dis-.

tance and, diameter, apair of .wheelsrotatirlg in opposite directions and having. opposed surfaces relativelyinclined. to forma tapered space to receive the peripheries of= the..rollers for rotation around their, axes, an abrading wheel at-the-outside, of said tapered space, and having. aooncaue surface .curved about the axis :of one of the wheels, a ,driven carrier 'having ,p'ockets forlthe rollers to control their passage ,acros'stheconcave surface, the pockets being in'clinedto ..r adii of the carrier ata calculated small angle,de pending on the :includedangle an'd diameter of the rollers to cause the, rollenends to engage said concave surface at lone side .of their axes ,{for production of a convexity .withagharpencurfiture than that of .-saidrconoave surface, and-the axis of said abrading wheelbeing located below v the roller axes to make said curvature less sharp.

14. In a machine for abradingthe peripheries,

and ends of tapered rollers in one operation, a lapping wheel and a regulating wheel for rotating the rollers on their axes and lapping the peripheries thereof, means for causing the rollers to travel bodily between the wheels, a concave abrading wheel engaging the ends of the rollers to produce convex ends on the rollers during their rotation and bodily travel, and means for positioning the concave wheel to make contact with the end of the rollers below their axes and in a region nearer to one of those wheels which engage the roller peripheries than to the other of those wheels.

15. In a machine for abrading the peripheries and ends of tapered, rollers in one operation, a.

' lapping wheel and a regulating wheel for rotating the rollers on their axes and lapping the peripheries thereof, means for causing the rollers to travel bodily between the wheels, a concave abrading wheel engaging the ends of the rollers to produce near spherical surfaces, and means for making the same concave wheel serve for abrading different curvatures on rollers of different dimensions and taper, said means comprising a device for making the rollers engage the concave wheel at only one side of their axes at a given instant.

' 16. In a roller abrading machine, a lapping wheel and a regulating wheel spaced apart to engage the peripheries of rollers therebetween, means for causing the rollers to travel bodily in the space with their axes slightly tilted with respect to radii of the regulating wheel, and an abrading wheel having a convex surface externally of said space and curved about the axis of the regulating wheel to engage the ends of the tilted rollers at one side of their axes and thus produce a curved surface of smaller radius than that of the convex wheel surface.

17. In a roller abrading machine, a lapping wheel and a regulating wheel spaced apart and defining a tapered annular space for tapered rollers therebetween, one wheel being smaller than the other and having its axis eccentric to the axis of the other, a guide of generally arcuate form extending around the greater portion of the tapered space to engage the ends of the rollers and guide the rollers in a generally arcuate path, and a driven carrier for controlling bodily travel of the rollers, the carrier having roller pockets inclined at a small angle of the order of one degree to radii of the carrier to cause the peripheries of the rollers to be minutely crowned lengthwise as they travel between the wheels.

18. In a machine for abrading the peripheries and ends of tapered rollers, an abrasive lapping wheel and a regulating wheel spaced apart and defining a tapered annular space for tapered rollers therebetween, means for rotating the lapping wheel and regulating wheel, the lapping wheel being driven many times faster than the regulating wheel and abrading the peripheral surfaces of the rollers, an abrading wheel having a concave surface externally of said space and curved about an axis to abrade the ends of the rollers to convex shape, and mechanism causing the rollers to travel bodily in said space at a speed many times faster than that of the regulating wheel rotation and across said concave surface to simultaneously grind the peripheries and ends of the rollers in a single operation.

19. In a machine for abrading the peripheries and ends of tapered rollers, an abrasive lapping wheel and a regulating wheel spaced apart and defining a tapered annular space for tapered rollers therebetween, means for simultaneously rotating the lapping wheel and regulating wheel at different speeds from each other, an abradin wheel having a concave surface externally of said space and curved about the axis of the regulating wheel to abrade the ends of the rollers to convex shape, and a guide of generally arcuate form extending from the opposite sides of the concave wheel around the tapered space and engaging the ends of the rollers and guiding them for peripheral lapping, said lapping wheel having a speed of rotation many times greater than that of the regulating wheel to abrade the peripheries of the rollers.

20. In a machine for abrading the peripheries and ends of tapered rollers, an abrasive lapping wheel and a regulating wheel spaced apart and defining a tapered annular space for tapered rollers therebetween, mechanism to simultaneously rotate the lapping wheel and the regulating wheel at different rates and in opposite directions with respect to each other, an abrading wheel having a concave surface externally of said space and curved about the axis of the regulating wheel to abrade the ends of the rollers, a guide generally arcuate in form and extending from the opposite sides of the concaved abrading wheel around said tapered space and guiding the rollers for lapping of their peripheries, and a carrier driven in the same direction as the lapping wheel at a slower speed than either of said wheels for controlling bodily travel of the rollers, said carrier having roller-receiving pockets, the lapping wheel being rotated at a rate of speed many times greater than that of the regulating wheel to. peripherally abrade said rollers.

RAYMOND H. CRAMER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent: 

